Dylan Cease already has the money — that was locked up when he signed a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Now, the superstar pitcher is looking for something a bit less tangible: respect.
After a certain point, another million on top of your already enormous pile of millions stops making a difference. It's what you do with that money and how you make good on your promise that defines a legacy, at least that's how the Blue Jays' ace-to-be views the next chapter of his career.
"I wanna earn everyone's respect, and I wanna do it through my play," Cease said on the JD Bunkis Podcast on Monday morning. "I don't wanna do it through how much money I signed for, things from the past. That's all I'm really looking to do."
So while the money is nice, Cease views it as a form of motivation. That he won't rest on his laurels, coasting into the sunset on the back of generational wealth, but that he'll instead prove to himself and fans that he earned that money.
That approach is what led Cease to the Jays in the first place, with the 29-year-old viewing the team as one that could further elevate his game.
"I wanted a team that could develop me and help me be more consistent," Cease said, "and I was really impressed with their pitching side of things and kind of what they had for me, what they thought I could improve on."
While Cease is a two-pitch pitcher for the most part, leaning heavily on his four-seam fastball (42.1 per cent of pitches thrown) and slider (41 per cent), he has mentioned developing a third offering for his arsenal.
Though he didn't get into specifics, Cease mentioned an hour-and-a-half-long conversation with current Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman before signing, when they talked about Gausman's splitter, among other things.
And while Cease said he wasn't necessarily honing in on Gausman's signature pitch, he mentioned he was impressed by the Jays' overall focus on the details — doing the little things to improve incrementally and win games.
"I can tell they're committed to being the best on the margins as well," Cease said. "They're committed to bringing in talented players and retaining talented players. At the end of the day, it's a really high-end organization."
Winning can also define a legacy, and seeing the Blue Jays make the World Series in October was the only selling point Cease needed to see to be convinced on that aspect.
"If I didn't think a team had a really good shot at winning, and I didn't think a team was gonna help me develop and be my best for the team, I wasn't interested. The Blue Jays came out and checked all the boxes and they were aggressive early and it was pretty simple."
Winning? Check. Development? Check. Money? Check. Toronto? Check, after Gausman "helped put me at ease," and Cease learned about the disc golf scene in the city — though he'll try to stay away from the links for the seven years he spends here.
A noted disc golf enthusiast, Cease said his hobby will have to take a backseat so he can focus on earning every penny of that $210 million. Though it's not the most strenuous sport, "it's just not worth the risk," says Cease.
Cease was deemed worth the risk when the Blue Jays forked up a nine-figure deal for the strikeout artist; it's just about making good on that promise now.
